I read it, as I have hundreds of similar "be-more-productive" blogs, and found myself getting really pissed off. Why the hell do I need to be more productive? What's wrong with doing what needs to be done and feeling like that's enough?

I'm working with some folk on a project around anxiety and depression, sharing the story of the two years I spent living with hostile neighbours. It's made me wonder if we are living in an age of anxiety, because I meet a lot of people who struggle with it, as well as depression, to varying degrees.

Since doing this work, I've come to realise I've actually struggled with both for most of my life. Anxiety as a kid about being different, or Mum being late to pick up me up, thinking she'd died in a car crash (no "Running late" texts in those days). Depression as a teenager about, well, everything. Anxiety in my early 20s about living independently and getting my support needs met. More depression in my mid to late 20s about feeling isolated and not fitting in.

I am Managing Director of Diversity New Zealand Ltd. I am recognised in New Zealand and overseas as a social and creative entrepreneur with fifteen years’ experience as a professional, award-winning comedian. My company works to develop capacity in individuals, teams, organisations and communities in the areas of leadership, diversity, complexity and change.

Earlier this month I blogged about Obsessive Productivity Disorder, saying I preferred the notion of efficiency (time/effort) over productivity (inputs/outputs).

Sam, over at Rooster Tails, said he didn't like efficiency either. I had to agree with him that efficiency is a lot like productivity, in that it creates expectations of speed and volume, that are often used to tell people they aren't doing enough.

Did you know that NZ has a Productivity Commission? I didn't, until I Googled 'productivity' in order to write this post. According to the website, "The Government has asked the Commission to investigate how to make overall improvements in the design and operation of regulatory regimes in New Zealand."

Productivity is defined by Statistics New Zealand as "a measure of how efficiently production inputs are being used within the economy to produce output." It goes on to say that a key determinant of a nation's standard of living is an improvement in productivity.

But have we gone too far with productivity? Has it become an obsession? Do we conflate the meaning of productivity with stress, busyness and over-achievement?